Hiroshima Prefecture

Hiroshima Prefecture (広島県, Hiroshima-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshu island.[1] The capital is the city of Hiroshima.[2] It has a population of around 2.8 million.

Hiroshima Prefecture

広島県
Prefecture
Japanese transcription(s)
 • Japanese広島県
 • RōmajiHiroshima-ken
Flag
Symbol
CountryJapan
RegionChūgoku (San'yō)
IslandHonshu
CapitalHiroshima
SubdivisionsDistricts: 5, Municipalities: 23
Government
 • GovernorHidehiko Yuzaki (since November 2009)
Area
 • Total8,479.63 km2 (3,274.00 sq mi)
Area rank11th
Population
 (June 1, 2019)
 • Total2,811,410
 • Rank12th
 • Density330/km2 (860/sq mi)
ISO 3166 codeJP-34
Websitepref.hiroshima.lg.jp
Symbols
BirdRed-throated diver (Gavia stellata)
TreeJapanese maple (Acer palmatum)

History

The area around Hiroshima was formerly divided into Bingo Province and Aki Province.[3] This location has been a center of trade and culture since the beginning of Japan's recorded history. Hiroshima is a traditional center of the Chūgoku region and was the seat of the Mōri clan until the Battle of Sekigahara.

Together with Nara and Tokyo, Hiroshima is one of the three prefectures with more than one UNESCO World Heritage site. The two such sites in Hiroshima Prefecture are:

Geography
Map of Hiroshima Prefecture
     Government Ordinance Designated City      City      Town
Fukuyama
Onomichi
Higashihiroshima
Mihara

Hiroshima prefecture lies in the middle of Japan . Most of the prefecture consists of mountains leading towards Shimane Prefecture; and rivers produce rich plains near the coast.

The province faces Shikoku across the Seto Inland Sea. Hiroshima Bay opens on the Inland Sea.[4] The prefecture also includes many small islands.

The sheltered nature of the Inland Sea makes Hiroshima's climate very mild.

As of 1 April 2014, 4% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks (the lowest percentage of any prefecture), namely Setonaikai National Park; Hiba-Dōgo-Taishaku and Nishi-Chūgoku Sanchi Quasi-National Parks; and six Prefectural Natural Parks.[5]

Cities
See also: List of cities in Hiroshima Prefecture by population

Fourteen cities are located in Hiroshima Prefecture:

Towns and villages

These are the towns in each district:

Mergers
Main article: List of mergers in Hiroshima Prefecture

Economy
Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
18901,319,507—    
19031,508,713+1.04%
19131,691,699+1.15%
19201,541,905−1.32%
19251,617,680+0.96%
19301,692,136+0.90%
19351,804,916+1.30%
19401,869,504+0.71%
19451,885,471+0.17%
19502,081,967+2.00%
19552,149,044+0.64%
19602,184,043+0.32%
19652,281,146+0.87%
19702,436,135+1.32%
19752,646,324+1.67%
19802,739,161+0.69%
19852,819,200+0.58%
19902,849,847+0.22%
19952,881,748+0.22%
20002,878,915−0.02%
20052,876,642−0.02%
20102,860,750−0.11%
20152,844,963−0.11%
source:[6]

Hiroshima's main industries include automobiles (Mazda is headquartered there) and tourism in two World Heritage sites: the A-Bomb dome and Itsukushima Shrine.

Components of the economy are primary industry, secondary industry, and tertiary industry, which compose 0.6%, 32.6%, and 66.2% in 2015. There is 0.6% of unclassified production.[7]

Value of production of manufacturing is 10,343 billion yen in 2016, which is the 10th largest in Japan. After 2012, production of manufacturing is continuously increasing in 2015.[8]

Education

University

Transportation

Railway

People movers

Streetcars

Roads

Expressways

National highways
  • Route 2
  • Route 31
  • Route 54
  • Route 182
  • Route 183
  • Route 185
  • Route 186
  • Route 191
  • Route 261
  • Route 313
  • Route 314
  • Route 317
  • Route 375
  • Route 432
  • Route 433
  • Route 434
  • Route 486
  • Route 487
  • Route 488

Ports
  • Kure Port - Ferry route to Edajima, Matsuyama
  • Hiroshima Port - Ferry route to Miyajima, Edajima, Matsuyama and Beppu, and also International Container hub port
  • Mihara Port
  • Onomichi Port
  • Fukuyama Port - International Container hub port

Airports

Sports

The sports teams listed below are based in Hiroshima.

Football

Baseball

Volleyball

Basketball

Tourism
  • Itsukushima Shrine and Torii Gate (Hatsukaichi)
  • Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Hiroshima City)
  • Taishaku Valley (Shobara)
  • Road of longing (Shokei no michi) in Takehara on October
  • Hiroshima Castle
  • Tomonoura (Fukuyama)

Famous festivals and events
  • Onomichi Port Festival - held in April
  • Hiroshima Flower Festival - held from May 3 to 5
  • Fukuyama Rose Festival - held in May
  • Enryuji Tokasan Festival - held in June
  • Gion Festival of Onomichi - held in July
  • Innoshima Water-naval Festival - held in August
  • Miyajima Under-water Firework Festival - held on August 14
  • Yassa Festival of Mihara - held in August
  • Saijo Sake Festival - held in October
  • Onomichi Becher Festival - held on November 3
  • Hiroshima Ebisu Festival - held from November 18 to 20

Notes
  1. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Hiroshima-ken" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 320 at Google Books; "Chūgoku" at p. 127 at Google Books.
  2. Nussbaum, "Hiroshima" at pp. 319–20 at Google Books.
  3. Nussbaum, "Province and prefecture" at p. 780 at Google Books.
  4. Nussbaum, "Hiroshima Wan" at p. 320 at Google Books.
  5. "General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture" (PDF). Ministry of the Environment. 1 April 2014. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  6. Statistics Bureau of Japan
  7. "平成27年度広島県民経済計算結果について" (PDF). 広島県.
  8. "平成 28 年経済センサス" (PDF). 広島県.

References

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